Masala fries with curry leaf crunch
Masala fries are hugely popular in Kenya and vast swathes of India, all of which offer a slight variation on the classic. At its core, however, are chips (in this case, Lamb Weston Ziggy Fries) mixed in a heavily seasoned tomato-based paste, coating them with bags of flavour. In our version, we finish with a curry leaf and peanut topping for the ultimate textural contrast.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
FRIES
- 750g of Lamb Weston Ziggy Fries
- 1 tbsp of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, to serve
- 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced, to serve
MASALA PASTE
- 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tsp ginger, finely grated (about a small thumb's worth)
- 1 tbsp of tomato purée
- 200g of passata
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- fine sea salt, to taste
- 1/4 lemon, juiced, plus extra to taste
TEMPER
- 1 tbsp of white sesame seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 handful of fresh curry leaves
- 40g of peanuts, salted and roasted, roughly chopped
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Spread out the fries in a single layer on a large baking tray. Cook according to the packet instructions, leaving them in for an extra couple of minutes to make sure they are deep golden and crisp – cooking them for longer than normal ensures they hold their structure when coated in the masala paste. Once cooked, tip into a large bowl
- 750g of Lamb Weston Ziggy Fries
For the masala paste, heat the vegetable oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6-8 minutes until softened but not coloured
- 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 further minute. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the passata, spices, caster sugar and salt, to taste. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until thickened, glossy and thick enough to cling to the fries without running off. Finish with the lemon juice and adjust the seasoning to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tsp ginger, finely grated (about a small thumb's worth)
- 1 tbsp of tomato purée
- 200g of passata
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- fine sea salt, to taste
- 1/4 lemon, juiced, plus extra to taste
For the temper, lightly toast the sesame and fennel seeds in a small frying pan over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant, then remove and set aside
- 1 tbsp of white sesame seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
Heat the vegetable oil in the same pan until hot, then add the mustard seeds. Once they start to pop, add the curry leaves and fry for 30-45 seconds until crisp – stand back as they will spit. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 handful of fresh curry leaves
Combine the seeds, curry leaves, peanuts and a small pinch of salt
- 40g of peanuts, salted and roasted, roughly chopped
Delicately toss together the masala paste and fries then transfer to a serving bowl. Scrunch over the temper so the curry leaves break apart, then finish with the parsley and lemon zest and juice
- 1 tbsp of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, to serve
- 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced, to serve
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